Sun Air pushes Lancaster debut to Monday

By Tim Stuhldreher,
November 1, 2012 at 11:00 AM
- Last modified: November 1, 2012 at 11:57 AM

Disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy have delayed the start of Sun Air's flight service between Lancaster Airport and Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport, the president of the Florida-based airline said this morning.

“Our first flight will be Monday” rather than today, Thomas Cooper said.

Sandy “threw a monkey wrench into our transition plans,” he said. The nine-seat aircraft that were to arrive in Lancaster earlier this week will instead arrive Friday, he said. Staff will then undergo U.S. Transportation Safety Administration-required training.

Sun Air has contacted ticket holders, and they understand the situation, he said.

Lancaster Airport Executive Director David Eberly said he is optimistic Sun Air will be ready to fly Monday.

Sun Air said in August it would take over Massachusetts-based Cape Air’s service in Lancaster and Hagerstown, Md. It is hiring most of Cape Air’s local employees, Cooper said.

Sun Air’s service is to begin with two flights daily, increasing to four later in the month.

The routes are the charter airline’s first foray into regularly scheduled commercial service. That necessitated extensive Federal Aviation Administration filings and approvals, but those were completed months ago, Cooper said.